Sunday Spotlight Success Story

Recovery is Real

​Meet Rachel

Name: Rachel
Age: 42
Location: Currently Rockford, IL originally from Pickneyville, IL
Children: Son, Jordan -18  and daughter, Olivia - 16 
Favorite Bible Verse: Isaiah 43:2

Her Story
​

Rachel grew up in a home where drinking and drugs were normalized. Her mother struggled with addiction. Rachel followed in her footsteps from a young age and all through her adult life. She and her mother lived together and used together. 
When Rachel was 40 years old her mother passed away.
​ Unable to pay the bills on her own, Rachel found herself living on the streets, eating food that restaurants threw out, and consumed by
​meth and heroin.
​

Rachel had been to rehab several times in the past, but entered again in April of 2019. 

This time was different. 
​
God placed her with a counselor that offered to pray with her (pictured above) and for the first time Rachel chose to surrender her addiction and her life to Christ. 
Next she watched as God moved mightily on her behalf. 
Time and time again he performed miracles that set Rachel on the road of recovery. 

Miracle Number One
​What is typically a thirty day program ended up being a three month program for her.
 
God
saw to it that she had an extended period of time to remain in a safe place where she built her relationship​ with him. 

Miracle Number Two
​
While in inpatient treatment she had to consider where she would go when she completed the program.
She was essentially homeless, but she also had legal involvement that could dictate where she must live upon discharge. 
On a long shot, Rachel applied to a recovery home in Rockford, Il.
She wasn't sure the judge would approve for her to move five hours from where she had to report for court proceedings.
This was a very anxious and uncertain time for her.  
 Weeks went by and she had not heard from the recovery home.
​She was losing hope and ready to give up. 
She came to her counselor and they prayed together. 
At that VERY moment the phone rang.
​The recovery home informed her that she had been accepted into their program.

​The quickest answered prayer ever!
​

The courts approved her transition and she moved away from everything she had ever known.
After so many years of drug charges and time spent in and out of jail -
She is now a huge success story in Franklin County, Illinois. 

Countless Miracles Later

God lead her on a journey that consisted of his favor upon her in the recovery home. 
She was cared for by amazing counselors.
​She continued to grow her relationship with Jesus and develop healthy coping skills. 
Relationships with her family were repaired. 
He blessed her with a great paying job that provides her the ability to help support her children.
She now has her own apartment and is a productive member of society. 
He has used her to be an integral member of AA and NA.
​She has even had the opportunity to go back to her old recovery home, tell her story, and inspire others. 
Through it all there is one consistent factor - God. 
Not only did she surrender to his will, his way, she chose him over and over. 
In each difficult situation, she ran to him!
When she wanted to make her own decisions she consulted him first. 
She stopped trying to control her destiny and allowed the designer of the whole world to work through her instead. 

On her two year sobriety anniversary she was able to help her daughter get ready for prom. 
A couple weeks later she was present for her son's high school graduation. 
How amazing!

Rachel's story is a beautiful example of what God will do if we choose to follow him.
If we step out in faith and face our fears. 
If we make choices that align with his will. 
She gives all the glory to God. 
If you're struggling in your recovery and haven't tried Jesus... trust him today! 
​It made all the difference in her life and he will do the same for you!

Let's make this success story go viral!